Egypt officials order new trials for Morsi supporters

Egyptian authorities on Thursday ordered 242 supporters of former president Mohammed Morsi [BBC profile] to face new trials in relation to the violent protests against the new government. Most of the individuals are low level members of the Muslim Brotherhood [party website; JURIST news archive] who are being charged [AFP report] for storming government buildings in Assiut. Another part of the group is facing trial for attempted murder, illegal protests and acquisition of firearms for protests northeast of Cairo.

Trials against Morsi supporters continue as the Egyptian government attempts to re-stabilize. Earlier this week the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute [advocacy website] urged [JURIST report] Egypt to promote judicial and prosecutorial independence. This month, Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour [BBC profile] created [JURIST report] a higher court body to allow appeals of military tribunal rulings. Also this month, an Egyptian court acquitted [JURIST report] an Al Jazeera television cameraman and 61 others accused of participating in demonstrations in Cairo last July. In January Egyptian prosecutors charged [JURIST report] 20 Al Jazeera journalists with joining or conspiring with a terrorist group and broadcasting false images. Recently the Egyptian government took a major step in governmental reform through the drafting of a new constitution, which was ratified [JURIST report] by 98 percent of voters last month.

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